Woods Wise Wire
Contact: Ellen Sabina, ellen@mainefarmlandtrust.org, 207.338.6575
Belfast, ME. On Monday, December 9 join Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF), GrowSmart Maine, and the City of Belfast for an information session on the Farmland and Tree Growth Property Tax Programs as well as an update on commercial solar development on farmland. The session will be held at the Belfast Free Library from 6-8 PM. “The City of Belfast recognizes the farm and woods economy as a fast-growing sector and wants to support it,” said Mike Hurley of the Belfast City Council. “This is the first in a series of programs to bring together and serve farmers, landowners, and others in this important and varied community.”
Maine offers four current-use property tax programs to encourage private landowners to keep working land-use patterns and landscapes intact. These programs establish a land value based on the land's current use rather than its potential development value, reducing the landowner's property taxes. Presenters Stephanie Gilbert and Morten Moesswilde of DACF will cover the nuts and bolts of the Farmland and Tree Growth programs: how to enroll, what to know, and how these programs can help you meet your land use goals, both for those already enrolled and for those who are thinking about enrolling.
The evening program will also offer an update about commercial solar development on farmland in Maine, and considerations for farmers and farmland owners. Presenter Ellen Stern Griswold, MFT’s Policy & Research Director, will describe the work of the Solar Siting Working Group to create educational resources, solar siting guidance materials, and other methods to promote well-sited solar projects in response to the significant increase in solar development in Maine.
This information session is intended for farmers, farmland owners, woodlot owners, and municipal representatives in the Belfast area. This event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP through MFT’s website: https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/event/support_working_landscapes/ Walk-ins also welcome. Questions about the event? Call the MFT office: 207.338.6575.
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Maine Farmland Trust is a statewide nonprofit that works to protect farmland, support farmers and advance the future for farming. More at MaineFarmlandTrust.org. For more information please visit: www.mainefarmlandtrust.org.
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is the State of Maine's support center for our many land-based, natural resource interests. The Department balances for and develops the state's various land-based, natural-resources including Maine agriculture, forests, outdoor recreation and public-access. For more information please visit: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/
GrowSmart Maine builds lasting prosperity without sacrificing the quality of life that defines Maine. For more information please visit: https://growsmartmaine.org/
Learn more about the City of Belfast here: https://www.cityofbelfast.org/
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